


From Afar or Staying Home

by hanky16



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Platonic Relationships, Trade Deadline
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-24
Updated: 2020-02-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:01:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22885180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hanky16/pseuds/hanky16
Summary: Tyson Jost wanted to play his career out in Pepsi Center next to his two best friends.That dream already got taken away from him on July 1st 2019.What more does he have to lose?
Relationships: J. T. Compher/Tyson Jost, J. T. Compher/Tyson Jost/Alexander Kerfoot
Comments: 1
Kudos: 21





	From Afar or Staying Home

**Author's Note:**

> Thank god Tyson Jost is still a Colorado Avalanche

Tyson Jost wanted to play his career out in Pepsi Center next to his two best friends.  
That dream already got taken away from him on July 1st 2019.

Others could call it denial but Tyson thinks he is prepared for what is to come on the trade deadline. Regardless of how much Nate tells him to ignore social media or how snippy Gabe gets when anyone brings up the deadline, Tyson knows he is gone. He rationalizes that maybe it’s better this way, he gets time to come to peace with it, doesn’t get surprised by having to pack a lifetime worth of memories into boxes and get pushed to another team like a business transition. Well actually the first part already happened back in November when JT was missing Kerf like a phantom limb and discarded everything that reminded him of what they had, and apparently that included Tyson. Tyson had thought they would be ok, that living apart just meant they would not keep turning corners expecting Alexander to be there. Tyson even got to enjoy American Thanksgiving as a Compher; him and JT were going to make it, their hearts were going to heal around the Kerfoot shaped hole. 

Nate said that the hardest part of the trade was playing Tyson Sr on Pepsi Center ice. In Tyson’s case it was after Kerf had returned to Denver. Before it was easy to pretend that Alexander was injured, instead of playing across the continent. Seeing one of his best friends walk onto the bus after the game ripped off the band aid that Tyson did not know he had on his heart. For JT it had all came crashing down after the Avs had played in Toronto, that game marked the night and day attitude change in him. JT and Tyson had walked into Scotiabank Arena and saw all the large oversized posters of Alexander’s face. Tyson had turned to make a joke about Kerf’s ego getting inflated but when he turned towards JT all he was met with was a blank face. JT’s demeanor only worsened with the press about how good Alexander was doing in Toronto. After that day JT had started brushing Tyson off and had gotten rid of anything that reminded him of their three story house in Boulder and all the memories that came with it. 

Tyson had packed up his apartment weeks ago when he got less than 10 minutes of ice time and the cold shoulder by Bednar. He has been living out of his travel suitcase ever since. All of his furniture was labelled to be taken down to Cale’s apartment so that the defenceman could finally have claim on some worldly possessions. He has gotten out of the pity from the team by making excuses every time someone wanted to come chill at his apartment, not that many people asked anyways. It was mostly Cale which could be avoided using the easy chirp that Cale’s place was cleaner as the rookie did not have enough furniture to even be considered remotely unclean. Lately though, Cale has been hanging out more with Sam and Gravy, and while he has been invited to hang out with the trio multiple times, seeing the three young defencemen attached at the hip broke Tyson’s heart a little bit every time he saw them. 

When Tyson leaves Denver tomorrow he would like to think he had the cleanest exit he could have. In his last game in the Can as a home player he played career minutes next to JT. When they got off the ice for their last shift together in regulation they sat on the bench with their sides all pressed up against each other just taking the scene in front of them. No words were shared but that was the most emotion Tyson had gotten out of JT since the Leaf’s had played in Denver. That would do for an impossible goodbye he could never make. If Tyson’s last day as an Colorado Avalanche was the charity brunch, he was more than ok with that. Being able to see a bunch of the kids who he had gotten friendly with during charity events and hospital trips one last time was amazing. Getting to see all of his old teammates enjoying themselves, seeing JT having fun with the people around him and just knowing that the ginger would be alright without Tyson gave him a peace deep inside. Joseph Taylor Compher was thriving in Colorado and would be more than ok without Tyson dragging him down. Tyson had slipped out early, without anyone noticing, and retreated home to get ready for what was to come. In 24 hours he wouldn’t even be an Av anymore so what did it matter right? 

Instead of going home, Tyson found himself in Boulder eating at the 24 hour deli that the roommates used to swear by, especially after road trips when they were too wound up to go to bed. He sat in their old booth and if Tyson closed his eyes he could hear all the small moments that happened in this booth at all hours of the day. The kids that found this deli by accident never knew that all those small moments would end up being the some of the most memorable moments they would all have in their career. By the time Tyson was brought back from the depths of his mind, it was almost sunset and he decided to take a walk through the neighbouring park. The park which JT always swore had the best view of the sunset in town. Which is why as Tyson approached the bench situated at the top of the park he wasn’t completely surprised to see a familiar figure sitting there. Tyson sat silently next to JT and the duo watched the sun disappear into the horizon with so many words settling heavily around them. Just when Tyson plucked up the courage to say something his phone rang, the dreaded personal ringtone he has set when he had been sent down to the Eagles all that time ago. It was supposed to give him hope, according to a past Alexander, the sound that meant you were coming home. Now that sound indicated the possibility of just the opposite. Tyson considered just letting it ring and pretend nothing was wrong when he felt JT slide his hand into Josty’s open palm. With a squeeze Tyson looked over he saw his best friend give him a small smile. Taking a deep breath in, Tyson answered the phone.

“Mr. Jost, I will cut to the chase to spare you any more agony”

Pause

“You will not be traded at the deadline, have a great rest of your evening”

Click

Tyson lowered the phone, the words swirling around in his mind. He was only brought back to Earth when he felt JT fidgeting with Tyson’s hand. With his signature smile he beamed towards his best friend Tyson screamed (which got him so weird looks) 

“I’m staying home”

When Tyson got tackled to the ground by a JT bear hug he felt multiple tensions he didn’t know he holding in leave his body. He was staying home, the team needed him. Maybe him and JT would be alright too. 

After a small wrestling battle, Tyson found himself on the swing set swinging in sync with JT a relaxed smile resting on his face when JT finally broke the silence.

“Everything was so much easier in Boulder huh? I couldn’t find you at the end of the Charity Brunch and all I could think of is how I couldn’t handle it if you were traded. Which is unfair I know, I was making you being on the trade block all about me. I came out here because Boulder is the only place that feels safe anymore, it’s where we had everything we didn’t know we needed.”

Tyson looked down at his feet, kicking the woodchips beneath his swing. “Why did you ignore me then? If you felt this way? You cast me aside after Toronto, you proved you were going to be ok without me when I inevitably leave” 

“I saw these banners of Alexander up in the biggest hockey city on the continent and I just saw him succeeding without us, without me. We knew even then that you weren’t safe and I just knew that wherever you went you would succeed without me too. I felt like the factor that was holding you back. Also, I was hurting so much from Alexander leaving that I was trying to protect myself from losing another part of me too.”

“Jay I thought I was holding you back, you are killing it on the second line right now and I am barely getting 10 minutes a night. The past couple weeks have given me a glimpse of what Alexander is going through and remember I am WAY clingier than he will ever be. I needed you then, I need you now. I made have made it through this season but I am not around forever. I want to cherish the time we have to play together, to be living in the same town together.”

“Yea me too” said JT as he stood up off the swing offering his hand to Tyson. “Can we start over? Or at least work towards what we used to be?”

“Yea bonehead, I would like that a lot” Tyson replied giggling as he gave JT his hand

“Ok then… I’m JT, bonehead roommate who likes to push people away”

“I’m Tyson, I won’t let you push me away without a fight”


End file.
